Industry insider knowledge, and usage tips on spices and other ingredients

Tag Archives: Ginger

Both my Chinese and Japanese grandma make zongzi (or chimaki in Japanese). Yet, they differ quite a bit. The ones made by my Japanese grandma are very simple and eaten with sweetened kinako (roasted soy bean powder). On the contrary, the ones made by my Chinese grandma contain lots of seasoned ingredients. Today, I’d like to share the recipe for a Chinese version. It takes a bit of preparation time but it’s worth it 😀 Photo: Raita Futo Recipe: Zongzi Yield: About 10-12 zongzi Ingredients 300g glutinous rice (the same kind used for making sticky rice or mochi) 200g pork shoulder loin ∗ … keep reading

When I was writing this article, I remembered a dialogue from a TV show which I watched in Japan more than a decade ago. It went like: Man A: “Chinese foods are so oily. How do they stay fit?” Man B: “They drink tea with their meal to wash it away.” I don’t quite remember whether it was a health program or a TV commercial for oolong tea. Yet, I also find Chinese foods a lot oilier than Japanese dishes. But these oily Chinese cuisines taste so good. Whenever I … keep reading

This mouthwatering recipe is our latest creation and what we think is one of the best recipes combining the warmth of Indian spices and the aromatics of european herbs. All in yummy snack form of french fries. Who’s gonna say no to that? There’s cayenne, paprika, for spice which is balanced with lovely sweetness from cardamom, sugar and sour from pink himalayan salt. Then adding in the herbs and staple garlic / ginger to get our delicious gobsmacking Peri Peri flavour. The chips can be made wet or crispy, it’s up to you. Our recipe below is for a crispy … keep reading

Phở is traditionally made with a strong beef broth, and normal vegetarian renditions which merely omit the meat taste bland and seriously lacking flavour. We’ve put together this full flavoured broth using some great ingredients, fresh spices and herbs that will challenge even the yummiest traditional beef broth pho. It’s now one of our favourite comfort foods, and very customizable to what fresh ingredients you have in your kitchen. The broth and noodles are the only staple, everything else is up to you! Recipe: Vegetarian Phở Serves: 2 Ingredients For the broth – 1 large onion, peeled and halved – … keep reading

This is an all-time favorite when we have friends or family during wet and cold weekends when all we want is to sit at home, do as little as possible and still get to enjoy! Hot crispy pakoras with a warm cup of drink and you are ready for watching a movie or listening to old time favorite music. The combination of crispy mung dal, chilli powder, lemon and ginger makes it so good, that we as kids always wanted more and more of them. Recipe: Dal Pakoras (Lentil Fritters) Servings: Makes around 20 pakoras. Ingredients: – 125g Yellow Split … keep reading

This is one of our homemade inventions and looks like a superstar when served up as an appetizer – doesn’t need any frills in terms of garnishes and fancy plating to look good and taste great. The thick, soft potato shell with crisp outside melts in your mouth, whereas the fresh peas and cottage cheese are mouthwateringly good. When we served this one up at a recent friend gathering they immediately ran out as people took seconds, thirds, and even fourth helpings. What really makes the dish shine is the secret ingredients Ras El Hanout and Garam Masala paired with … keep reading

This is one of the most famous recipes coming from Sichuan Province. Our recipe is true to tradition, and nearly unaltered version of “辣子雞丁 Làzǐ jī dīng”. Be wary though, it’s hot, but so full of flavour. As it’s rapidly stir fried in a wok, lots of hot tianjin chillies are needed to create the heat, colour and aroma of the dish. A little bit of sugar is needed to offset the intense heat and create a better balance of flavours. We’ve also opened to use Pink Himalayan Salt as opposed to traditional sea salt for a little extra sour … keep reading

Indian’s almost all unanimously agree that the king of daals is the Black Daal. Rather blandly named, this daal is a rich, thick daal made using black lentils. It’s lightly, but carefully spiced, and an absolute joy to eat with rice. If you’re going out to a north indian restaurant in a large group, this will undoubtedly get ordered. Hope you enjoy our family rendition! Recipe: Fragrant Black Daal Serves 4 Ingredients 100g dried black gram (mungo bean), soaked for about 6-8 hours 1 tbsp single cream 1 tsp butter 1 tsp Fenugreek seeds 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin 1/2 tsp … keep reading

We’ve rarely done african food, but while developing our recipe for Ras El Hanout, we came across this great recipe for a Chicken Tagine. With a few modifications, here’s the final version. It’s extremely aromatic, healthy, and bursting with flavour from the spices. This dish takes it’s name from the Tagine it’s cooked in. The tagine imparts a warm, clay aroma to the dish, which is preferred by many africans who can appreciate the slow cooked and traditional cooking method. Serve with couscous as a main dish. Serves: 2 as a main Ingredients 125g green olives 40ml olive oil 1 … keep reading

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Our company's Spice Trade blog was started to provide more transparency to consumers about where their food ingredients and spices come from. We compile our decades of knowledge and condense it into sizeable chunks for our customers to read and learn from. Wherever possible, our information is backed up by scientific research, linked directly to from the posts. Please note that due to market fluctuation, certain recommendations and information may be out of date.